Chapter 35
Chapter 35
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 35
Chapter Title: Metamorphosis
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Typically, Roverland's anti-monster tactics were centered around Experts and Elite warriors.
Against monsters, each one possessing monstrous strength, the Experts and Elite warriors would first break their charge.
Experts could enhance their bodies and weapons with the power of Aura, and while the Aura-using Elite warriors couldn't enhance their weapons, they could still use Aura to generate immense strength.
A herd of Stag-oxen charges? First, you send in the Experts to blunt their momentum, then the Elite warriors to break them, and finally, the regular soldiers move in to finish them off.
A pack of Ironclad Wolves swarms in? First, you send in the Experts to disrupt them, then the Elite warriors to sweep through them, and finally, the regular soldiers move in for the cleanup.
That was generally how it was done.
But I had pulled the Experts back and placed a front line of heavily armed troops composed solely of Elite and regular warriors... so they were unfamiliar with it, and afraid.
They must all be half in doubt.
Will this really work? If it doesn't, are we all just going to die?
It will work.
Because I trained them to ensure it would.
But what if, by some one-in-a-thousand or one-in-ten-thousand chance, it doesn't?
Well, in that case, I'll just have to kill them all myself. About 300 Stag-oxen is nothing.
“Shields, lower your stances! The Stag-oxen will try to toss you by lifting their heads from below. Get low if you don't want to go flying!”
“A Stag-ox's horns are sharp as blades! Hide well behind your shields! Or your faces are gonna get a makeover!”
“Pikemen, get your angles right! If you can't plant those pikes, your squad leaders are all dead!”
“Don't be afraid! I'm right behind you!”
The Experts serving as commanders stood interspersed among the ranks, encouraging the soldiers.
*Thud-thud-thud-thud-thud-!*
The Stag-ox herd closed to 300 meters.
At their speed, they would cover that distance in seven seconds.
They were already moving at a ridiculously high speed, but the beasts usually accelerated sharply again from the 100-meter mark, ramming their targets at a staggering velocity exceeding 300 kilometers per hour just before impact.
So, now was the time.
“Archers! Ready to fire!”
*Kreeeak!*
The 800 archers positioned behind me drew their bowstrings in unison.
“Aim for 150 meters ahead... Fire!”
*Swiiiiiish!*
A rain of arrows poured down on the heads of the relentlessly charging Stag-ox herd.
Those weren't just any arrows.
My first weapon, meant to counter the charge of those monstrous beasts.
The Imperial Bow.
Also known as the Black Bow.
Small, light, with excellent power transfer, it was considered the finest bow in the world.
Maximum range: 400 meters.
Effective range: 150 meters.
And even outstanding accuracy.
My archer corps was fully armed with these Black Bows.
Of course, the Empire strictly controlled the export of Black Bows, but that wasn't a problem at all.
If you just cast 'Wanna trade for some ancient artifacts?', there was nothing in the world you couldn't obtain.
Those 800 Black Bows fired into the wind as one.
*Swiiiiiish!!!*
The relatively short arrows unique to the Black Bow, known as Black Arrows, flew with an ear-splitting shriek and pierced the hides of the Stag-oxen.
*Kkieeeeek-!*
With bloodcurdling screams, a dozen or so Stag-oxen tumbled to the ground.
Their hides were so tough and sturdy that despite being peppered with arrows, most of them charged on, unharmed.
'Still, I've robbed them of their moment to accelerate.'
For them, I served up my second weapon: javelins.
“Javelins! Throw!”
*Thwump-thwump-thwump!*
Over 1,000 heavy spears flew in unison, striking the faces of the Stag-ox herd.
*Kkueeeeh!!!*
This time, about 30 of them fell.
With the tenacious life force befitting monsters, they charged on without dying, even with spears sticking out all over their bodies.
But more important than the number brought down was the fact that the falling Stag-oxen had disrupted the herd's charge.
Some Stag-oxen nimbly leaped over their collapsing comrades,
others couldn't avoid them in time and stumbled,
and still others veered to the side to go around...
Not only had their speed decreased, but their tightly packed formation had scattered, becoming sparse.
The Stag-ox herd had not only lost its chance for a final, explosive acceleration but had also lost its density.
What I had prepared for them was,
long, sturdy pikes!
The pikemen took more precise aim at the scattered Stag-oxen and met their charge.
“Pikes! Hold!”
*Crack! Craaack! Crack!*
The Stag-oxen charged and impaled themselves on the pikes.
Against their vicious momentum, the tangwood shafts, known for their excellent elasticity and strength, bent into arcs. Some even snapped completely.
Despite having firmly braced the pikes by burying shields in the ground and resting the shafts on them, the pikemen were pushed back, shields and all.
Still, thanks to them, the Stag-ox herd's momentum was clearly broken.
Enough for the Elite warriors to hold them off.
“Shields!!!”
“Hraaaah!”
*Kwaggaaaaaang!*
At last, the Stag-ox herd crashed into the shield bearers.
They boasted the absurd strength expected of monsters, but having had their momentum broken in succession by arrows, javelins, and pikes, they were unable to breach the wall of shields erected by the Elite warriors.
*Kagagak! Kagak!*
Their razor-sharp horns scraped against the kite shields, producing a high-pitched metallic shriek.
“Whoa!”
“It's working?!”
“It's working!”
Gasps of awe erupted from the soldiers.
A charge from 300 Stag-oxen was a monstrous force that even mid-rank Experts would have to brace for injury to face.
To think they had blocked such a monstrous charge with only Elite and regular warriors—it was no wonder they were astounded.
I, too, was getting excited.
Now it was time to knead the stalled Stag-ox herd as I pleased.
This feels even more thrilling than swinging a sword myself.
“First and Second Battalions, hold your positions! Third and Fourth Battalions, circle to the flanks and annihilate them! Archer Corps, volley fire on the left and right flanks!”
“Hah!”
The Elite warriors at the front pushed back the sporadically charging Stag-oxen with their shields and struck at their necks with their swords.
The pikemen right behind them continuously thrust their long pikes, easing the burden on the Elite warriors.
While the front line held, the Third and Fourth Battalions swung around to the flanks and struck the sides of the bewildered Stag-ox herd.
This time, regular warriors stood at the fore, forming a shield wall by holding their shields with both hands.
No matter how strong the Stag-oxen were, once their charge was stopped, they couldn't easily push back a line of four shield bearers bracing each other's backs with their shields.
Meanwhile, from behind the shield wall, Elite warriors held five-meter-long pikes in a reverse grip over their heads. From high to low, they stabbed at the Stag-oxen outside the formation.
*Thrust! Thwack! Thrust!*
Even a shield wall pushing forward in rows of four would eventually have been pushed back by the monstrous strength of the Stag-oxen, but because of the Elite warriors' pikes constantly stabbing from behind, the beasts couldn't exert their full power.
Whenever they were about to push, a pike would stab them, and just as they tried again, another would pierce them. The Stag-oxen fell one by one, forced to retreat further and further.
On top of that,
*Swoooosh!*
800 Imperial Bows rained arrows ceaselessly upon the left and right flanks.
Fired from close range, the Black Arrows dug even deeper into the Stag-oxen's hides.
Blocked at the front and slowly being pushed back from the left and right, the Stag-oxen grew confused and scattered. Some, driven by their instinct for slaughter, charged into the rain of arrows and spears, while others retreated, hoping to find an opportunity. The distance between them grew, and their cohesion vanished.
The Stag-oxen's formation was now riddled with holes, like a sponge.
Now, it was time to take their heads.
I would crush the remaining 200 or so Stag-oxen with Sword Aura.
“Monster Slaying Squad! Advance!”
“Hah!”
The Monster Slaying Squad was composed of 60 low-rank Experts and 10 mid-rank Experts.
They charged forward, their Sword Auras glowing brightly.
The soldiers in the front line lowered their stances to clear a path for them.
*Thump! Thump!*
Kicking off the ground with force, the Monster Slaying Squad leaped high, soaring over the front line and plunging into the midst of the disoriented Stag-ox herd.
*Kwajik!*
*Twukwang!*
*Kkueeeeh!*
Along with bloodcurdling screams, grayish-white blood shot up like fountains.
Unlike the Sword Ki of old, Sword Aura was stronger in destructive power than cutting ability, so every time a Stag-ox was slashed, the wound would burst open, sending chunks of flesh flying.
The excited members of the Monster Slaying Squad shouted.
“My god! I can't believe Stag-oxen are this easy!”
“Sweep 'em up! Mow them down!”
Normally, a charging Stag-ox was a fearsome opponent even for them.
But a stationary Stag-ox, pressed from both sides and thrown into confusion, was not scary at all.
It was easy.
So easy it felt wrong.
*Kwajik!*
*Chwaak!*
*Kkieeeeek-!*
The Stag-ox herd collapsed as if swept away by a broom.
Sensing their disadvantage, a few Stag-oxen quickly broke from the herd and retreated, but that too was futile.
Because I still had one last weapon.
“Cavalry! Charge!”
The 200 heavy cavalrymen who had been stealthily circling around charged forward.
They skewered the Stag-oxen retreating from the formation on their lances.
*Kkueeeeh-!*
The last Stag-ox fell.
The total battle time up to this point was a mere 15 minutes.
It was a decisive victory.
***
Kalserik looked around with eyes full of wonder. All he could see were soldiers brimming with excitement.
“Did you see that? Me, with my spear! Right between the Stag-ox's eyes, bam!”
“Tch, amateur hour. I stabbed one in the eye, you know?”
“I stabbed a Stag-ox in the balls. Ask me anything.”
The first victory.
And a decisive one.
The very atmosphere of the army had changed.
“I'm telling you, every time the Count gave a command, I felt a jolt run down my spine!”
“Right? It was like he was playing in a sandbox with a herd of Stag-oxen.”
“A jolt? I pissed myself.”
“Damn it... No wonder it stinks over here. Get away from me.”
The soldiers' shoulders relaxed.
Hearts that had been pounding with anxiety now beat with confidence.
Even as they pushed deep into the heart of the borderlands, some were so far from feeling fear that they were actually humming.
Metamorphosis.
This was like a rebirth.
The moment a fully formed butterfly finally tears its way out of its chrysalis.
The moment it realizes its wings can carry it through the world.
Kalserik felt it.
The warriors before the battle and after were completely different beings.
He naturally began to review the battle that had produced this miracle.
'It was a stroke of genius.'
That was Kalserik's assessment.
'He drew out the Experts' offensive power to its absolute maximum.'
In conventional tactics where Experts were placed at the vanguard, you couldn't expect that kind of offensive power.
Because they had to clash with the sharpest point of the enemy's charge, Experts frequently suffered injuries and tired out quickly.
Of course, that method could reliably break the enemy's spearhead, but it also exhausted our strongest forces, causing the battle to drag on.
The longer the battle, the greater the exhaustion and the heavier the casualties—that was only natural.
But when the Experts were held back and the Elite and regular warriors defended the front line, everything changed.
The Experts, having conserved their strength, exploited the gaps in the enemy's broken formation and committed what could only be called a massacre.
Because the Experts finished off the enemy in one fell swoop, the battle ended with surprising speed, which in turn drastically reduced the casualties among the Elite and regular warriors.
'We fought 300 Stag-oxen... and not a single soldier died...'
And the high-rank Experts and above hadn't even stepped forward.
It truly felt like he had witnessed a new era in anti-monster warfare.
Kalserik turned his gaze back to the soldiers, their morale soaring.
Despite fighting a formidable foe of 300 Stag-oxen, they showed no signs of exhaustion.
Soon, his gaze shifted to the side. To a man with dark blue hair fluttering in the wind, riding his horse.
Lansen.
His lord.
'Our commander, I had a feeling he'd learned a thing or two... but to think he could execute tactics and strategy to this degree?'
He was shocked, and ultimately, he saw a possibility.
'If we continue like this... Operation Lightning might actually be feasible.'
He had thought it was an absurd plan, but now it seemed entirely possible.
That ridiculous operation to subjugate the entire border region, where a Wave was imminent, in just one week.